Abstract
The water regime of wet tropical vegetation is discussed in terms of the standard hydrological equation. The proportion of rainfall which is effective in replenishing soil moisture depends on the amount lost by interception and evaporation from plant canopies; a model is discussed. Redistribution of rainfall by stemflow is considered in some detail; where rainfall is heavy stemflow may cause considerable modifications in the distribution of water to the soil. Transpiration from plant communities is analyzed in terms of canopy energy balance; available data indicate that transpiration rates in the wet tropics are likely to be low. Because of energy absorption by upper layers, low windspeeds and high humidities, transpiration by understory vegetation must be very low. The balance between root surface areas and leaf area, and the consequences of root systems of different types, are discussed briefly in respect to the water relations of under- and overstory vegetation in wet tropical forests.
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© 1984 Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague
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Landsberg, J.J. (1984). Physical Aspects of the Water Regime of Wet Tropical Vegetation. In: Medina, E., Mooney, H.A., Vázquez-Yánes, C. (eds) Physiological ecology of plants of the wet tropics. Tasks for vegetation Science, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7299-5_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7299-5_3
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